Front-desk checkout averages seven to 10 minutes compared to two to five minutes for in-room checkout. When Reagan McDonald, DVM, and practice manager Jennifer Atchley opened Partners Animal Hospital in Lakewood Ranch, Fla., in June 2026, they focused on efficiencies from the start. Before building their checkout workflow, they visited Partners Animal Hospitals in Wesley Chapel and Sarasota, Fla., to see it firsthand. Laptops and mobile credit card readers can easily move throughout the hospital, and payments write back to the practice’s information management software (PIMS). The result has been smoother checkout experiences for clients—avoiding bottlenecks at the front desk. “I want our client service representatives (CSRs) to be present on the phones and greeting clients,” says Atchley. “No one wants to wait to be helped.” At Partners Animal Hospital in Lakewood Ranch, Fla., team members are cross-trained in veterinary assistant and CSR duties. Tatyana Johnson brings a laptop and mobile card reader for in-room checkout. Randy Allen visited with his five-year-old Dachshund, Bean. Mobile terminals also allow clients to pay with their smartphones. Photo courtesy Wendy S. Myers Benefits of in-room checkout Besides improving client experiences, practices get significant benefits when shifting payments off the front desk into exam rooms: Discussing costs openly Rather than blindsiding clients during front-desk checkout, conversations about fees should happen in the privacy of exam rooms. Technicians can present treatment plans, demonstrate the value of each service, and invite discussion. If clients can’t afford care, share financing options or take a spectrum-of-care approach with alternative treatment paths. Open discussions build trust. “Technicians can build rapport with clients,” says Atchley. “Pet owners also know who to follow up with for additional questions.” More stress-free visits In-room checkout can make the payment process easier for clients with mobility issues, children, anxious pets, or busy schedules. Pets avoid noisy lobbies and interactions with other animals at the front desk. Clients don’t have to make a second stop at the checkout counter—they can head directly to their cars. Better service experiences A veterinarian sees an average of 15 patients per day.1 In a three-doctor practice, you would shift 45 checkouts from the front desk to exam rooms. You risk bottlenecks when three clients with 10 a.m. appointments check out simultaneously. In-room checkout allows three transactions to happen at the same time. CSRs can focus on phone calls and arriving clients. Clients can also ask technicians any last-minute questions during checkout, says Atchley. Improved forward booking Dental practices are masters of forward booking, and found hygienists have greater success with pre-appointing patients than scheduling coordinators at checkout.2 By the time clients reach the checkout counter, they want to leave and may dismiss staff attempts to schedule. Because the medical team schedules the next exam, forward booking is a clinical recommendation rather than an administrative task. “Technicians can forward-book the next appointment because they know when the next care is due,” explains Atchley. Fewer missed charges Veterinary practices lose five percent to 10 percent of annual revenue due to missed charges and incomplete invoices.3 A $2 million practice misses $200,000 annually. Common missed charges include fecal tests, diagnostics, injection fees, and progress exams.4 Missed charges also mean missed reminders for future services. Because technicians were in the exam room and knew what care was delivered, they can enter charges and collect payments. Using AI scribe technology during exams can also help plug leaks. A 60-second record-to-invoice check can ensure billing accuracy:5 Open the medical record (SOAP) for the visit. Open the invoice side-by-side. Scan the Assessment and Plan Confirm that every treatment, service, and product appears on the invoice. This quick reconciliation step anchors billing accuracy to a single source of truth: the medical record. At Vet Next Door in Parrish, Fla., a “Sit, Stay” sign sets expectations that clients will pay in exam rooms. Photo courtesy Wendy S. Myers Getting started Consult your PIMS provider. You’ll want mobile terminals that write back payments to your PIMS. Many offer integrated payment solutions. Add laptops. You’ll need enough laptops for technicians and doctors to use in exam rooms for record keeping and invoicing. If you have three doctors seeing outpatient appointments, you’ll need three laptops. Check your WiFi connection. Walk through every exam room to test wireless connectivity. You don’t want dead spots that will delay transactions and frustrate clients and your team. Installing network extenders can improve connectivity. Go digital. Switch to emailing receipts, discharge instructions, and treatment plans to save time and reduce printer bottlenecks. Bring medications into the exam room. The technician can grab medications from the pharmacy and bring the laptop and mobile terminal into the exam room in one step. Script the transition. Tell clients, “To make checkout easier and faster for you, we’ll do it in the exam room today so you can go directly to your car when we’re finished. You won’t need to stop at the front desk.” Anticipate pushback. Technicians may initially resist adding the administrative task of checkout. Share the benefits of in-room checkout and provide training on presenting invoices to show value and explaining third-party payment options. Start with in-room checkouts for euthanasia and discharge appointments. Technicians will soon realize the task is more efficient and creates better client experiences. As you increase technicians’ comfort levels, add all appointment types for in-room checkout. If clients pay by cash, Partners Animal Hospital has them check out at the front desk because the hospital keeps one cash drawer. “We are big on efficiencies,” says Atchley. Wendy S. Myers, CVJ, trains veterinary teams to communicate with clarity and confidence, inspiring client trust and better medical care. Founder of Communication Solutions for Veterinarians, she teaches proven skills through online courses, conferences, and consulting. Myers' experience as a partner in a specialty and emergency hospital gives her insight into practice challenges. Explore her online training at CsvetsCourses.com. References Larkin M. Benchmarking Data Plus Elevating Efficiency Equals Practice Productivity. AVMA News. Accessed September 24, 2026. https://www.avma.org/news/benchmarking-data-plus-elevating-efficiency-equals-practice-productivity Faustino A. How to Improve Dental Recall with These Tips. Accessed September 22, 2026. https://capforge.com/how-to-improve-dental-recall-with-these-tips/ Galvin J. Maybe Money Does Grow on Trees. AAHA Trends. Accessed September 24, 2026. https://www.aaha.org/newstat/publications/maybe-money-does-grow-on-trees/ Jenkins T. How to Prevent Missed Billing: The Hidden Financial Toll of Missed Charges in Veterinary Clinics. PetsApp. Accessed September 24, 2026. https://petsapp.com/blog/how-to-prevent-missed-billing-the-hidden-financial-toll-of-missed-charges-in Brittany N. A Quick Check That Catches Missed Charges Before Checkout. Shepherd. Accessed September 24, 2026. https://www.shepherd.vet/blog/a-quick-check-that-catches-missed-charges-before-checkout/
